ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A man faces several felony charges in connection with a series of vehicle break-ins and thefts in west St. Louis County earlier this month.
Prosecutors have charged Antoine Taylor, 21, with five felonies and two misdemeanors in connection with crimes dating back Sept. 20.
According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Taylor and another person targeted vehicles around Mason Valley Road, Featherstone Drive and Mason Knoll Road in Town and Country city limits. Police reviewed surveillance footage from homes that reportedly showed Taylor and another suspect rummage through parked cars after getting out of an SUV.
Police responded to the 10 block of Rio Vista Drive at an undisclosed time on Sept. 20. When they arrived, hey noticed thieves had smashed the window of one car and rummaged through it, taking off with a wallet and sunglasses.
Later that night, police responded to nearby Mason Valley Road after receiving a tip of someone suspiciously trying to to open cars through door handles. When police arrived to the scene, they noticed a dark-colored Infiniti SUV that took off at a high rate of speed.
Per court documents, police followed the vehicle because it had matched a description of one tied to the theft at Rio VIsta Drive. Officers used stop sticks to impede the vehicle, then two men got out of the car and sprinted toward Queeny Park.
Police quickly searched the vehicle and found the wallet and sunglasses stolen in the reported break-in earlier that night. They later determined the Infiniti SUV to be stolen as well.
Later on, police made way to the Manchester Meadows Shopping Center and noticed a man, later identified as Taylor, with mud and foliage on his shirt. Officers also noticed an orange hoodie discarded in a nearby trash can that had matched the description of one seen in surveillance videos of the break-in.
Investigators say Taylor and another suspect, not yet identified or charged, are accused of stealing two cars and breaking into others in west St. Louis County. Prior to his arrest, Taylor also had a pending felony case. Taylor is jailed on a $60,000 bond and has an arraignment hearing scheduled for Thursday.